Filtering by Category: Cert Cicerone Exam Advice

I got a great question via email from Brad F. the other day. He wrote:

On page 79 [of the Beer Scholar Study Guide for the Certified Cicerone® Exam], under Belgian Dark Strong Ale you say that "these are not Belgian barleywines, quads, or spiced holiday beers..." I know the quad is more of an American spin and not actually a style, but when I look up "quads" they are all listed as Belgian Dark Strongs [in the 2015 BJCP Guidelines]. Where would u put a quad? Thanks. Book is great!

Awesome! This is how you learn, by challenging your teachers and studying so effectively that you find questions and errors in the study material. I have a feeling Brad is going to pass the CC! My answer to Brad's question is simple, but it actually brings into focus the whole point of the BJCP Guidelines, so read on!

So that's a good eye Brad has got! I read through the 2015 Guidelines but hadn't noticed that change to include Quads in the BDS category. The change to the style's definition makes sense though, there was never much difference between most BDS and Quad beers beyond a little extra ABV. That said, there is an upper limit for ABV in this category. For the 2015 Guidelines it was bumped it up by 1% to an allowable ABV of 8-12% (in the 2008 BJCP Guidelines it was 8-11%). The BJCP likely made that change specifically to bring most commercial "Quads" into the BDS category. Anything bigger than 12% would still need to be entered as a "specialty beer" in a homebrew competition, as would a holiday spiced version of this beer.

And that's something worth pointing out - never forget that the BJCP Guidelines have been developed as a tool for categorizing and judging homebrew. Yes, they are the best style guidelines out there, hands down, but they weren't made for the Cicerone program or for judging commercial beer comps (the Brewer's Association produces their own guidelines for judging the Great American Beer Festival (GABF), that's the only real alternative). Commercial brewers generally don't care about the BJCP Guidelines or "brewing to style," they care about selling beer. The BJCP Guidelines are an awesome resource for folks who want to understand beer and styles. It is incredibly well-researched, but there is inevitably fuzziness around the margins of the definitions of a "style." Styles are not static.

That makes the job of picking exact cutoffs for the quantitative numbers (ABV, SRM, and IBU) for styles difficult. Some styles are more straightforward because they haven't evolved much recently, like German Weissbier, or because there is really only one major commercial example to consider, like with Cali Common and Anchor Steam. Others are more difficult to pin down, for instance trends in American IPA evolve and change yearly (Cascadian Dark IPA! Northeast IPA! TIPA! Session IPA! Vermont IPA! Etc. etc. etc.). Belgian styles are squirrelly because those brewers tend to brew with less regard to "style" than brewers from other beer cultures (I'm speaking very generally there). On top of that, the mostly American folks who create the BJCP Guidelines are definitely more familiar with certain regional styles than others. For instance, over time it became clear that the 2008 Guidelines contained serious omissions and some incorrect info. That was cleared up for the 2015 update, plus they added loads of new styles and data for Eastern European styles they just hadn't understood that well previously...but guess what...because we continue to learn more about beer and styles evolve, the 2015 BJCP Guidelines are going to seem full of incorrect info by 2024.

So yeah, where to draw lines...is the term "Quad" an American invention or the whole time was it really just about where we drew an arbitrary definitional line for Belgian Dark Strong that forced us to come up with a name for the bigger versions of Belgian Dark Strongs? I don't know the answer to that, but I think it made a lot of sense to draw those very similar Quad beers into the BDS category in the newer BJCP Guidelines, don't you?

Thanks for the question, Brad, that was fun to geek out on! Good luck with your studies and good luck on the Cert Cicerone exam! Cheers, Chris

Before we look at the recommended resources for the CC exam, it's worth noting that my Beer Scholar Study Guides for the Cicerone Exams follow the CCP's syllabi and summarize all the info you need to know to pass the exams. They've helped hundreds of people pass the CBS and CC exams, so seriously consider picking one up in addition to any other reading you do to save yourself loads of time and effort.

Now let's look at what study resources the CCP recommends for the second level of the program, Certified Cicerone. The CC exam is a seriously difficult in-person exam with written and tasting portions. Its passage rate is less than 40%, about 1 in 3. That's worse than the NY or CA State Bar Exams. Certified Cicerones are true beer experts. So, which the CCP says, "while it is not mandatory to review all of these resources in preparation for our exams, we hope candidates can utilize this list in conjunction with the syllabi to focus their studies," I would recommend that you read and study all of these resources. Besides, merely passing the test isn't the whole point, you also want to become a beer expert!

The Cicerone Certification Program recently released recommended "Key Resources" you need to study to pass the exam for every level of the program - Certified Beer Server, Certified Cicerone, Advanced Cicerone, and Master Cicerone.

First, I've created my excellent Beer Scholar Study Guides for the Cicerone Exams that have helped hundreds of people pass the CBS and CC exams. Seriously consider picking up my Guide in addition to any other reading you do. It'll save you time and effort. My Guides follow the CCP's syllabi and summarize all the info you need to know to pass the exams, plus offer detailed breakdowns of the test sections and tips and tricks for beating them.

Now, let's look at what study resources the CCP recommends for the first level of the program, the Certified Beer Server (CBS). The CBS exam is an online exam that tests a basic level of beer knowledge and as such test takers are not required to learn a ton of material. In general, the CCP says: "while it is not mandatory to review all of these resources in preparation for our exams, we hope candidates can utilize this list in conjunction with the syllabi to focus their studies." I would recommend that you read and study all of these resources, as merely passing the test isn't the only point, you also want to become a beer expert, too!

The Cicerone Certification Program's Beer Style Flashcards are great for learning all the beer styles you need to know. Note that these are only good for the CBS exam, not the CC exam. Also, FYI there are free sets of flashcards for the Cicerone exams online, but every one I've ever looked at are full of errors and info you don't actually need to know, so stick with sets from folks like me or the CCP, just sayin'!

If you want to be a beer guru, you have to read about beer and brewing...a lot. Books, magazines, blogs, whatever. On your way to becoming an expert, you'll tear through a shelf full of beer books. First, you need to read several "intro to craft beer" type books, they cover loads of material you need to know. Reading several of them will pound the basics into your head and give you a few different perspectives and approaches to beer. Second, you should read a few more specialized books, like one about a single family of beer styles that you really like or about the history of beer in the US. Third, if you're a homebrewer there is a whole separate list of books you should read, which will help make you very beer smart (I highly recommend you give homebrewing a shot if you love beer and/or want to become a Certified Cicerone).

OK, OK, Let's get to it and talk about what you need to read to prep for the Certified Cicerone exam. That's what you're really here for, no?

The Cicerone Certification Program's (CCP) Certified Cicerone syllabus indicates that you need to memorize all the qualitative and quantitative info for the styles they test on the exam (ABV, IBU, SRM, OG, & FG). You definitely want to know the qualitative information backwards and forwards, but in my Beer Scholar Study Guide for the Certified Cicerone Exam I say that, no, you really don't need to memorize all the quantitative information, but be familiar with it generally. Because of that, I regularly get emails questions from folks who are unsure and are seeking assurance of who is correct on this issue. My short answer remains the same despite new information that the CCP is asking more questions about styles' quantitative info on the CC exam - I don't think you NEED to memorize all that data as long as you're very familiar with all the styles and can make educated guesses. For me, this is all about smart time management during your studying, however, there's more to it. Read on for the details.

How do I get better at smelling, tasting, and describing beer? I hear this question over and over. Often, it isn't even a question, it's a statement like: "I'm not good at tasting and describing beer (or wine), so I can't do the BJCP or Cicerone tests." Never say that again and correct anyone else who does, it's just not true! Read on to see why.

The Certified Cicerone® exam has a "demonstration component" where you have to show off a beer skill in front of a camera. As long as you've studied your Beer Scholar Study Guide for the Certified Cicerone® Exam and read this advice on how to beat the demonstration section you'll be in good shape even if you're asked to demonstrate something you've never done before.